The prior art discloses examples of instrument carrier hardware where the shoulder straps can be changed adjusted or replaced. These carriers require adjustment or changes to the shoulder straps or back member to accommodate different size users. None of carriers in the prior art disclose shoulder straps or adjustments to the shoulder straps or back member that allow the fit of the shoulder straps to be adjusted using one or more expandable cushions.
La Flame U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,683 discloses a carrier for percussion instruments having an abdominal plate connected at one end of a unitary frame partly encircling the wearer at the waist and having an upstanding rear portion pivotally connected to a back pressure plate. Shoulder bars are connected to the back-pressure plate and wrap about shoulders and support straps connect to the abdominal plate that has suitable fixtures for attachment of various percussion instruments. While this patent discloses a carrier for percussion instruments, it does not disclose that the shoulder bars or back member have an inflatable cushioning member.
Hsieh U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,610 shows a carrier for percussion instruments having a “T” bar, a pair of shoulder bars, a belly plate. The shoulder bars are bolted on a lateral plate of the “T” bar. The lateral plate has arc-like slots and spaced semi-circular holes permit bolts to slide in the slots. The fastening end of each shoulder bar has a hole and an arc-like slot from the upper portion to the lower portion permitting angular adjustment of the shoulder rightward or leftward for various applications. The carrier holder is applied to carrying a bass drum fastened by J-bars. While this patent also discloses a carrier for percussion instruments, it is not disclose that the shoulder bars or back-pressure plate have an inflatable cushioning member.
La Flame GB patent 2,123,676 (based on U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,442) discloses a carrier for percussion instruments or the like which includes the combination of a belly plate with a carrier bracket for supporting an instrument at an outwardly-overhung position about a fulcrum area of contact with the front waistline area of the person, a rigid band with a generally bent contour to extend along a portion of the waistline area of the person to the back of the person, a back-plate riser arm supported by the ban to extend in a generally upward direction such that a portion of the arm will extend along the back thoracic region of the person, and means carried by the arm for imparting to the thoracic back region of the person a reactive force to the overhung weight of the instrument about the aforesaid means forming a fulcrum area of contact with the person. While this patent also discloses a carrier for percussion instruments, it is not disclose that the shoulder bars or back member have an inflatable cushioning member.
Other possibly relevant prior art is Pyle U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,357; May U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,910 and May U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,810.
Various prior inventions have been disclosed that provide percussion an instrument carrier, but none of the listed inventions provide an expandable cushioning system. The ideal invention would provide one or multiple expandable cushioning pads that improve the comfort of using the carrier and allows the carrier to provide a more custom fit to the user. The proposed invention provides these features.